Automobile lock



G. R. McKEAGE.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK. APPLICATION FILED JULY I, 1919.

Patented May 2, 1922.

GUILLAUIi/IE R IEUSEUS MOKEAGE, OF MONTROSE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOIVIOBILE LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 19 22.

Application filed July 1, 1919. Serial No. 307,895.

T 0 all 1.072 am. it may concern."

Be it known that I, GUILLAUME R. Mo- Kmcn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Montrose, in the county of Susquehanna and State ofPennsylvania, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomobile Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame This invention relates to automobile locks or means for locking thesteering wheel of an automobile so as to prevent the machine from beingstolen or used by unauthorized persons when left standing without anattendant.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient, durableand inexpensive device of the character referred to adapted to beattached to the steering column of an automobile and having meansthereon for locking the steering wheel so as to prevent rotary movementthereof.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described,with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as apart of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at theend of the description.

In said drawings: r

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering wheel locking device withcombination lock embodying my invention applied to the steering columnof an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the locking device detached;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the device taken on the line 3-3of Fig. 2;

Fig. a is a detail sectional view showing the yoke arm locked in itsuppermost position for engagement with the steering wheel, and 7 Figs. 5and (3 are detail views of the sliding locking bolt and a permutationring or dial, respectively, of the combination lock.

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference letters are usedto denote corresponding parts in different views, the letter A'denotes aclamping device composed of two members a and a fitting one upon theother and having at one end substantially semi-circular portions 0, anda hinged together at a? and adapted to surround and grip the steeringcolumn of a motor vehicle so as to secure the same in a fixed positionon the column adjacent the steering wheel. Preferably the confrontingsurfaces of the parts a and a are serrated to insure a firm hold on thesteering column. The parts a and a are provided with one or more,preferably a plurality of registering holes, in which threaded bolts Gare screwed, said bolts having their heads countersunk and the metalsurrounding the same undercut as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, sothat a piece of soft copper or other soft metal may be pressed into therecess thus formed and expanded around the head of the screw so as toconceal the same from "view and prevent removal of the screw withoutfirst removing the copper or soft metal by drilling or otherwise clamphas projecting therefrom an L-shaped arm a which is apertured in linewith an aperture in the member a to receive a locking bolt C on whichare fitted a plurality of permutation rings or dials D having studs orprojections (Z thereon for a purpose hereinafter described. 7

The sliding locking bolt C has enlarged portions 0 and c andintermediate spaced annular ribs or flanges c in which are formed slotsin alignment with a slot 0 in the enlarged portion 0 of the bolt, sothat when the projections d on all of the dials are brought intoalignment with the aligned slots in the annular flanges c the lockingbolt may be slid endwise in or out, for the purpose of locking orunlocking and releasing the locking arm or yoke I, which is carried bythe clamp A for locking the steering wheel. The yoke I has preferably aV-shaped head portion 71 adapted to straddle 2. spoke of the steeringwheel and prevent rotation thereof when the yoke is secured in itsuppermost position, as shown in Figures 1 and t of the drawings. 'Theyoke I is slidably fitted in a recess J, in the member a of the clampand has a plurality of holes therethrough to receive the end 0 ofthe'locking bolt, whereby the yoke may be locked in the raised position,shown in Figure 4, or in its lowermost position, by engagement of thelocking boltwith an upper or lower hole in the yoke arm. The lookingbolt may have a reduced extension 0 adapted to engage a recess in therear wall of the recessed portion J, of the clamp member ct, for greaterstrength and security, though this extension is not essential and may bedispensed with. Each of the dials The member a of the D is provided witha plurality of numbers arm, a bolt slidably fitted in said apertures, orletters, certain ones of which should be a yoke slidably fitted betweenthe opposed arranged diametrically opposite the promembers of said clampsubstantially at right 55 jections (Z, so that when the dial is turnedangles to said sliding bolt, and means posito bring such number orletter into a given tioned between the L-shaped arm and the position,said projection will be in alignclamp for engaging the sliding bolt tolock ment with the slots in the spaced. annular the same in a retractedor extended position ribs and permit longitudinal movement of forlocking or unlocking said yoke. 60 the locking bolt. In order to lockthe bolt 2. A combination lock for the steering the several disks areturned so that the prowheel of an automobile comprising a clamp jectionsthereon will enter the recesses bewith. means for securing it in a fixedposition tween adjacent ribs 0 out of alignment with on the steeringcolumn, said clamp compris the slots in said ribs and thus preventmoveing opposed members between which said 65 ment of the locking bolt.The locking bolt column is clamped, 0

ne of said members C is lnserted through the aperture in the having anLshaped apertured arm thereon arm a of the clamp and in the registeringand also having an aperture therein in alineaperture in the supportingarm a and has ment with the aperture in said arm, a spring a threadedextension 0 projecting beyond projected bolt slidably fitted in saidaper- 70 said arm a to receive a milled head or finger tures, a yokeslidably fitted between said oppiece F for moving the bolt in and out,and posed members of said clamp substantially a spring E on said boltbears against a at right angles to and adapted to be enshoulder withinthe recessed or apertured gaged by said sliding bolt to secure themember a of the clamp and against a fian e same in a fixed position anda combination 75 or abutment 0 on the locking bolt, so that lockpositioned between the clamp and the the latter bolt is normally forcedinwardly apertured L-shaped arm for locking the by action of the springinto locking engage sliding bolt in a predetermined position. ment withthe yoke I, but may be withdrawn 3. In combination a clamp .withconagainst the pressure of the spring by pulling cealed means forsecuring it in a fixed posi- 80 outwardly the head portion or lingerpiece tion on the steering column of an auto- F, and when the bolt isreleased it will be mobile, said means comprising bolts having forcedbackwardly through one or the other counter-sunk heads and soft metalposiof the holes in the yoke so as to lock tioned around said heads andunder the the latter in either raised or lowered posicounter-sunkportions to conceal the heads 85 tion, for the purpose of locking thesteering of said bolts, an lL-shaped apertured arm wheel or releasingthe same as may be deand an aperture in the clamp in alinement sired inthe operation of the automobile. with the aperture in said arm, a springpro- It may be desirable in some cases to use jected bolt slidablyfitted in saidapertures, a key for looking the sliding bolt C instead ayoke slidably fitted between opposedmem- 90 of the combination lock orpermutation berg f aid la b t tiall t. i ht rings and co-operatingelements on the lock an l t d d t d t b engaged b id in bolt. slidingbolt to secure the same in a fixed aving thus described my invention,what iti a d means o iti n d between the claim as new and desire tosecure by Letclamp and the apertured L-shaped arm for 95 ters Patent ofthe United States, is locking the sliding bolt in a predetermined 5 1. Alock for the steering wheel or an position. 7

automobile comprising a clamp with means In testimony whereof I aflix mySignature fo securing it on the steering golumn, said in the presence oftwo witnesses. clam com arisin opaosec mem ers between j which saidcolufi in it clamped, one of said GUELLAUME REUSEUS Mcmpima membershaving an .L-shaped apertured arm thereon, and also having an aperturetherein in alinement with the aperture in said Witnesses B. F. MOKEAGEJr.,

C. F. l/VRIGHTER.

